The present invention provides an improved edible fat-containing emulsion having good characteristics for use in confectionery toppings and fillings. It is readily whipped and formed into desired shapes and has good storage characteristics.
There have been two typical whipped cream type compositions used for the preparation of confectionery toppings and fillings. One type is a whipping cream which is made from dairy cream or a synthetic cream having characteristics similar to dairy cream. The second whipping cream is referred to as buttercream which is made from butter or margarine. Whipping cream and buttercream each have advantages and disadvantages which are a consequence of the type of emulsion which characterizes the respective cream.
Whipping cream is a fat-in-water emulsion. It has a very good mouth feel and very good thin melting characteristics, i.e., it is considered to melt easily in the mouth providing a fresh and non-sticky sensation in the mouth. Whipping cream has the disadvantage that it readily deteriorates to an unacceptable product within a few days in a refrigerated showcase. Recently, whipping cream itself or cakes having toppings made from whipping cream are preserved in a freezer. Over a period of time in a freezer, water evaporates from the surface of the whipping cream resulting in a drying of the surface and a deterioration in at least the appearance of the product resulting in economic loss in the value of the product as a commodity to be sold. This prevents preservation of whipping cream and whipping cream containing products for a long storage period. Whipping creams have the further disadvantage that confectionery ingredients having a low pH, such as jam and sour milk, destroy the emulsion which forms the whipping cream and therefore cannot be included in whipping cream. Whipping cream has the advantage that it is not necessary to utilize a complicated or complex processing operation to form the whipped cream into desired shapes, such as a flower.
Buttercream is a water-in-fat emulsion. The mouth feel when tasting buttercream is dependent upon the melting point of the blending fat which is used. It has the disadvantage that the flavor of the aqueous phase is difficult to ascertain as a taste sensation. It also has the disadvantage that it tends to leave a greasy sensation in the mouth. Buttercream has the advantage that it is readily processed, and materials having low pH values can be incorporated in the buttercream. Buttercream also has the advantage of good storage characteristics under ordinary (ambient) temperature conditions, refrigeration and freezing conditions.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel margarine composition which has the superior mouth feel and very thin melting characteristics of whipping cream, together with the good storage and processing characteristics of butter-cream.